About us
Small Planet, Big Universe
The best future we can imagine is to bring the only known life in the universe to the rest of the universe. The LU in Lunexus stands for "Living Universe" and we are at the nexus in time and space to make sure this becomes a reality. And, if along the way it turns out we aren't alone, what could be better than making new friends?
But the universe is big. We first have to overcome the challenges of living and working in space, in our own orbital backyard. Where is the economic engine to drive this?
Growing the Space Economy
For humans to live and work in space, space manufacturing must become a practical reality. For most of the Space Age, the paradigm was that space manufacturing would require raw materials from mining asteroids or the Moon. In the meantime, the pillars of the space economy grew organically. Mining in space is still some years away, but orbital material builds up due to those pillars.
However, those defunct satellites also threaten to congest orbits and break apart into an exponentially dangerous cascade of projectiles. If unchecked, it could at worst hamper Life's ability to grow beyond Earth for another century. At best, left unchecked, it will hobble the growing space economy.
Addressing this by recycling orbital debris and defunct satellites sustainably provides feedstock to the orbital manufacturing economy while clearing orbits. This opens the potential for the growing circular space economy.
Doing Our Part to Improve Earth
For every kilogram of material recycled on orbit, that's more than a kilogram that doesn't have to be mined from Earth; it's a kilogram that doen't burn up in Earth's atmosphere, lost forever to dispersion or the bottom of the ocean; it's a kilogram that doesn't have to be launched again at great cost (at least $3k in 2022).
And by manufacturing in space, we take advantage of abundant solar power and vacuum, with zero emmisions to pollute Earth's water or air. Power generated cleanly in space doesn't add to the power burden on Earth.
Lunexus Team
Greg Vialle
Founder and chief ideator, Greg is the driving force behind the Lunexus. He loves to keep his hands full by participating in the hardware development, team building, and solving problems. Greg is an Army veteran with 25 years of cross disciplinary engineering experience, that includes a MS in Materials Science from Georgia Tech. This is his second start up venture.
Matthew Cunningham
Matt is an electrical engineer (BS, U. of Conn.) with over half a decade of military and industrial engineering experience working for companies such as Sikorsky, ASML, and the FAA. He has a broad knowledge of power electronics, nanoscale lithography, control system automation, and induction furnace electronics.
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Board of Advisors
Dave Fischer
Dave is president of Liftoff Strategic Advisors, where he advises space companies on strategic positioning, revenue growth, and business development. He also serves on various boards, including the University of Chicago Alumni Board of Governors, the University of Chicago Space Network, and the Colorado Space Business Roundtable. He is a seasoned executive in the space industry, with prior business development and strategic roles at Astroscale, RUAG, and Ball Aerospace.
Steven Aragon, PhD
Dr Aragon is a seasoned executive and technical expert with over 30 years of experience leading high-performing teams and delivering innovative products in the thin-film industry. He's successfully launched and managed startups, spin-offs, and mature organizations. Steve holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and an MBA in Finance.